


Bearing Witness

by Kika988



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-28
Updated: 2014-07-28
Packaged: 2018-02-10 17:59:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2034627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kika988/pseuds/Kika988
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Castiel could admit he was a bit naive. He’d always been a little too trusting, but -- well, trusting Dean was like breathing, it came naturally. After all they had been through, it just never occurred to him to question what Dean said. However trusting he may be, though, he wasn’t <i>dense.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Bearing Witness

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the Destiel Ficlet Challenge. I was assigned this prompt: Person A thinks Person B is cheating on them, so they follow them out one evening. (You determine what they find.)

Castiel could admit he was a bit naive. He’d always been a little too trusting, but -- well, trusting Dean was like breathing, it came naturally. After all they had been through, it just never occurred to him to question what Dean said. However trusting he may be, though, he wasn’t _dense_.

So when he received a text from Charlie, asking if it was a good time to call, as she thought she might need some help with the case she was working in Oregon, he felt he had cause to be concerned, considering the fact that Dean had claimed he was going out to meet Charlie when he’d rushed out the door earlier. Cas swallowed past the sick feeling that was crawling up the back of his throat when he texted her back and said he would call her in the morning. He couldn’t talk to her now; she would know something was wrong. She had somehow learned to read him almost as well as Dean could.

If this was the first time something like this had happened, Cas might have shrugged it off, but the past few weeks, Dean had been… distant. When Dean had started getting texts and phone calls that he’d felt the need to take outside, Cas had been surprised, but not suspicious. They weren’t in the habit of hiding things from each other (at least, _he_ wasn’t, he thought bitterly), but everyone deserved a bit of privacy. Maybe he should have given it a little more thought when he’d reached for Dean’s phone to shut off the alarm yesterday morning, and Dean had snatched it out of his hands before he could even swipe across the lock screen, but he’d been half asleep at the time.

Then, more recently, there had been the disappearing. He’d gone out one night early last week, claiming he just needed “some ‘me’ time Cas, it’s no big deal, I won’t be out late” and Cas had taken him at his word. A few nights later he’d been out on a quick salt and burn with Sam, but Sam had dropped by to bring Cas some books he’d asked for from the bunker, and had seemed surprised that Dean wasn’t home yet, since he’d dropped Sam off a couple hours earlier.

Cas stalked into the kitchen and took some deep breaths. There had to be a logical explanation. Dean wouldn’t-- maybe he’d gotten around some when he was younger, but now? They had a life together. A house, a savings account. He felt his stomach lurch as he saw the doorway to their spare bedroom across the living room. It was just a couple months ago that they’d discussed starting a family, looking into adoption. He’d been looking forward to turning that blank room into a nursery with him.

But then tonight… Cas had been cooking dinner, a rare enough thing, since Dean loved cooking, but Cas had found a recipe he’d wanted to try and Dean had seemed excited about it, and encouraging as always, until…  
  
 _“Hey Cas, I’m sorry man, Charlie just texted me, she’s breezing through town tonight and asked if I could run her those shirts she forgot in the laundry last time she stayed here. I may grab a beer or something with her but I won’t be too long.” Cas wiped his hands on the towel that hung on the front of the oven as Dean was pulling on his leather jacket._

 _“Be careful,” Cas warned, “the roads are supposed to freeze over tonight. Don’t rush, dinner can wait.” Dean had smiled and nodded, but he was obviously distracted. He was too busy looking down at his phone as he turned away to see Cas leaning in for a quick kiss before he left. Cas’ brow furrowed as the sound of the door shutting echoed in the kitchen, but he shook his head before turning back to the oven. It was nothing; Dean was just excited to see Charlie. He missed her more than he let on._  
  
Cas snapped out of the recollection and reread Charlie’s text, but it was just the same; it left no doubt that she was across the country, not across town having a drink with Dean. Cas chewed on his lip for only a moment before he let out a defeated sigh; he needed to know. Dean had lied to him, blatantly and to his face, and what that might mean would plague Cas until he knew for sure. All the little things he’d been ignoring; the evasions, the disappearing for hours on end, the times he came home smelling oddly floral, and now the lies… it all added up to a picture that was turning his stomach to even contemplate.

It didn’t take long to find the Impala; with the winter weather threatening, only a couple of bars, the grocery store, and the Waffle House were open. Cas pulled his hybrid into the space beside the Impala under the yellow glow of the Waffle House sign and turned the ignition off.

He didn’t go in right away. He didn’t need to. The wide windows of the small restaurant afforded him the perfect view of the booth Dean was sitting in with a young blonde girl. He had to fight to keep his breaths even when he saw how Dean leaned across the table toward her, how his hand closed briefly over hers. He flashed his most charming smile at her and she laughed, obviously shy but warming to him. And she was so _young_ , somehow that made it even worse. She had to be eighteen, he thought almost desperately, she _had_ to, but she couldn’t be any older than that.

Cas drew in a long, slow breath and opened the car door, his feet crunching in the snow that gathered in the parking lot, his bare hands stuffed in the pockets of his coat to fend off the chill. Dean grinned brightly as he slipped out of the booth, holding out the girl’s coat for her to shug into. She gave Dean an adoring smile as she shuffled through her pockets for her gloves and he laughed at something she said, his hand settling on her back as they moved toward the door.

Cas squared his shoulders, coming to a decision, crossing the parking lot with heavy, measured steps, pausing at the corner of the waffle house, concealed behind the poorly kept hedge as Dean opened the door for the girl.

“You’re a really great guy, you know?” she stated, one gloved hand tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

“I’m not as great as you think,” Dean answered, glancing at his feet with that beautiful self deprecating smile of his that made Castiel’s heart sink like a stone.

“I’m kind of hoping you are,” she admitted, biting her lip. Dean’s whole face lit up and Cas had to push down the urge to be sick.

“You’ve decided what you’re going to do?” Dean asked, his expression painfully hopeful. The girl nodded, and took a deep breath.

“Yes, I’m--” Castiel must have shifted or made some noise, because her eyes flickered to him, causing Dean to turn around, his eyes widening when he caught sight of his partner.

“Cas,” he said, his voice hoarse. “What are you doing here?”

“Charlie,” Cas replied, numb. “She texted me.” Dean swallowed hard and nodded.

“Okay. Okay. Um, as cliche as this sounds, I need you to trust me, alright? This isn’t-” He paused and snorted out a laugh, knowing how it sounded. “This isn’t what it looks like.”  
  
“It really isn’t,” the girl agreed, watching Castiel carefully. Castiel tore his gaze away from Dean to look at her, noticing now for the first time the slight swell of her belly under her jacket. She moved her hand to rest lightly on top of the bump when she saw it had attracted Castiel’s attention. She nodded to herself, then turned back to Dean. “I think you two have something to talk about,” she said, smiling encouragingly.

Dean raised a questioning eyebrow at her, and she nodded, lips pressed together into a thin line. He huffed out a disbelieving breath and leaned down to wrap her in a tight hug, seeming to forget their audience for a moment. Castiel frowned, but didn’t look away. It didn’t look like a hug between lovers.

“Are you okay to be driving home?” Dean asked worriedly as he pulled away. “The roads--”

“I’ll be fine,” she promised. “Just… let me know, okay?”

“I will,” Dean replied, glancing back at Cas. “ _We_ will.”

It took ten minutes for them to get back home, and another five for Cas to procrastinate, bumbling around in the kitchen with every excuse imaginable until Dean physically took his hands out of the sink and begged him, “Please, Cas, just come talk to me. Please,” and -- well, apparently Cas still wasn’t any good at telling Dean ‘no’.

Once they were finally settled in the living room, carefully neutral territory, Castiel blurted out his question before Dean could even begin to explain.

“Is the baby yours?”

There was a tense moment of silence, when a series of conflicting emotions flickered across Dean’s face ( _confusion, anger, sadness, hope_ ) before he answered.

“Actually,” he finally replied, his voice rough. “I was hoping he could be _our_ baby.” When Castiel just stared at him, brow furrowed in confusion, Dean sighed and continued. “I met Sarah on that case Sam and I took across town a few weeks ago, the haunted apartment building? Her boyfriend kicked her out while we were there investigating, so I gave her a ride to the women’s shelter and we ended up talking. She was four months pregnant.” Dean was talking to his hands clasped in his lap, but he glanced up at Cas when he said that. Castiel nodded his understanding, but said nothing. “She couldn’t afford all the prenatal care -- you’d be amazed how much all that shit costs, seriously -- so I got her some of the vitamins and helped her find a doctor that would work with her, and…” He shrugged. “She needed the help, she’s a good kid.” Castiel couldn’t help the small smile that brought on; Dean was a caretaker at heart, no matter how tough his exterior. That didn’t explain, though--

“But why the lying?” Castiel asked. Even with his worst fears now put to rest, that was still what Castiel couldn’t get past. With their history, especially, lying to each other historically hadn’t ended well. It made the subject touchy, to say the least. “Why couldn’t you just tell me?” Dean ducked his head.

“I kind of suspected from the beginning, that she would decide to give the baby up for adoption,” Dean said. “And I hoped she’d consider us.” He looked up to meet Castiel’s eyes now, as if willing him to understand. “We’d just been talking about it not too long before I met her, and- dammit, I wanted it so bad,” he admitted, pausing to run a hand over his face. “I’d done some research on how long an adoption through the system could take, and how expensive a private one could be, and then this just fell in my lap, and…” He shrugged. “I didn’t want to jinx it, at first. And then after that, when she actually started talking about it as a possibility, I was afraid to bring it up. I didn’t want to get your hopes up like mine already were, only to have it not happen. So I lied. It was stupid, I know, and I’m sorry.” He paused, looking across at Cas. “You didn’t… did you seriously think I was cheating?” He looked _hurt_ that Cas could even think that, and _that_ was what finally set him off.

“Did I -- I don’t _know_ , Dean. I just knew you were lying, and where has that gotten us in the past?” he snapped. He clenched his jaw, refusing to feel bad about it when Dean flinched. “You were going out without me and lying about who you were with, and then you were being all charming with a pretty young girl and…” He covered his face with his hands and chuckled humorlessly. “And you love women, Dean, you always have, and you gave all that up, so it’s not unthinkable that--”

“Whoa, whoa,” Dean interrupted. “I didn’t give up anything, I-”

“I’m not saying you didn’t gain as well,” Castiel pointed out carefully. “But you _did_ give up your… the lifestyle you had before, the freedom to do as you pleased, with _whom_ you pleased,” he added, sounding pained. He sighed. “I trust you, Dean. I do. The thought had honestly never even crossed my mind before. It’s just, under the circumstances…” Dean’s expression was pinched, but he nodded his understanding.

“Okay, yeah. I get that. But I’d never do that to you, alright? Never,” he said firmly. Castiel smiled a little and nodded. Dean reached out for his hands. “I’m sorry for lying,” he said quietly, threading their fingers together. “It seemed like it was for your own good, at the time, but doesn’t it always?” He sighed, looking down at their joined hands. “I won’t do it again. I swear.”

“I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions,” Castiel offered, meeting Dean’s eyes easily for the first time all night. Dean smiled hesitantly. 

“So… we’re okay?” Castiel squeezed his fingers and allowed some of his building excitement to show on his face. 

“I’d say we might be better than okay,” he said with a grin. “Since it sounds like we might be about to be fathers?” Dean’s hopeful look fell into one of disbelief.

“We’re-- _Cas_. Really?” Castiel just raised his eyebrows. “We’re-- oh my god, Cas. I’m gonna be a dad.” He stood, pulling Cas to his feet. He wrapped his arms around him and buried his face in Castiel’s neck. “We’re gonna be _dads_!”

 

\------------------

 

Castiel slowly drifted to consciousness. Dean’s feet twitched against his own, their only point of contact. He slowly opened his eyes to see Dean under a pile of covers. Castiel had pushed them all of his off, only his feet still covered where he had, at some point, pushed them under the pile of covers over Dean’s feet.

He tensed as it suddenly clicked that he could _see_ \-- there was sunlight filtering in through the blinds from the other side of the room. That meant it was morning, but--

“Rob,” Dean said, coming suddenly awake when he felt Cas go tense. His voice was hoarse with sleep but he was right behind Cas as he shot out the door and down the hall, barreling through the nursery door to see their son, gurgling happily as he chewed on his toes.

Dean heaved a sigh of relief, which caught Rob’s attention. He stuck his arm through the bars of the crib and grunted impatiently, apparently having decided that now that someone was here, they could provide him with a better breakfast than his toes could. Dean moved past Cas to pick him up, uncaring that there was likely an over-full diaper leaking against his shirt.

“Did you finally sleep through the night?” Castiel asked, stepping close enough to brush a hand over Rob’s dark hair. Rob merely drooled and grabbed Castiel’s nose.

“Feel free to do that again tonight,” Dean told Rob conversationally as he gently pulled Rob’s hand away from Castiel’s face and headed for the changing table. “Papa may be as pretty as ever, but Daddy needs his beauty sleep,” he said in an exaggerated whisper. Castiel rolled his eyes; they both had matching sets of bags under their eyes after three months of sleepless nights.

“I’ll go get a bottle started,” he said quietly, laying a hand briefly on Dean’s back before turning to go. He paused in the doorway to look back at Dean and their son -- _their son_! Dean leaned in to blow a raspberry on the bottom of Rob’s foot, and the baby’s gasping giggles filled the air as he tried to squirm away. Getting to see this side of Dean was almost as wonderful as seeing how Rob changed and grew, surprising them every day.

He cringed and turned for the kitchen as a particularly high-pitched squeal split the air. It might not be heavenly battles and apocalyptic struggles, but this was the kind of excitement he hoped to enjoy for many years to come.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on tumblr as feathers-n-freckles, if you'd like to follow me there to catch all the little tidbits of writing that don't always make it to AO3. All comments and constructive criticism are loved and welcomed!
> 
> As a side note, the title came from the quote "Being a parent wasn't just about bearing a child. It was about bearing witness to its life." by Jodi Picoult. It seemed a nice double entendre, between Castiel's 'witnessing' unexpected things, and how it ended up playing out.


End file.
